Could The Black Phone do for black balloons what IT did for red ones? IT’s Pennywise is creepier – it’s tough to beat a demonic clown – but The Black Phone’s The Grabber serves up solid competition among horrifying antagonists in films based on Stephen King or his son Joe Hill’s twisted stories. And as for the balloons, both signal what’s about to go down is going to be terrifying.
The Black Phone’s set in 1978, years before kids could use their cell phones to instantly reach out for help. I’d say it was a more innocent time but truthfully the world was a scary place even back then; we just didn’t talk about it as much because social media didn’t exist and it wasn’t as easy to share gossip.
The story focuses on Finney (Mason Thames), a quiet 13-year-old with a hell of a pitching arm and a feisty kid sister named Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). Finney’s the target of a vicious group of school bullies but, fortunately, one of the most feared/fearsome members of his class has his back. Unfortunately, that kid – Robin (Miguel Cazarez Mora) – soon becomes the latest addition to a lengthy list of kids snagged by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke).
The Grabber has been stalking the streets unseen by authorities for years. There are so few clues as to who’s behind all the abductions that when Gwen talks about black balloons it draws the attention of the cops. They’ve been keeping key details about the crime scenes a secret – a common investigative tool used by law enforcement – and one of the items they haven’t disclosed is that remnants of black balloons were found at some of the abduction sites.
Gwen wasn’t at the crime scenes and hasn’t read any police reports. Instead, Gwen’s knowledge of black balloons and other details of the kidnappings comes to her in her dreams. Her deceased mom also had the ability to tap into the spiritual realm, something that Gwen’s abusive, alcoholic father Terrence (Jeremy Davies) resents and tries to beat out of her.
Finney’s no longer under the protection of Robin and is worried about becoming The Grabber’s next victim when he encounters a strange character who claims to be a magician. Finney’s spidey sense kicks in too late and he’s knocked out before he can escape.
When Finney comes to, he’s in a soundproof basement with just a toilet, a mattress, and a weird black phone on the wall that The Grabber insists doesn’t work. Of course, the film wouldn’t be titled The Black Phone if said item was just a strange choice for a set decoration.
When it rings, Finney finds himself speaking to the kids who were kidnapped before him. The phone connects Finney to some of the teens who’ve experienced exactly what he’s going through now, and they not only warn him about what’s in store – torture and ultimately death – but also provide clues as to what he should do to avoid sharing their fate.
The Black Phone’s three leads – Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, and Ethan Hawke – are outstanding, with Thames and McGraw perfectly capturing that teen sibling, us against the world vibe. Gwen’s a real force of nature and her personality balances the shyness of her older brother, and the way both Thames and McGraw bring these polar opposites to life makes The Black Phone feel grounded in reality despite the story’s fantastical elements.
Ethan Hawke trades in his normal decent guy sort of role to disappear into the part of a lunatic serial killer. Hawke’s The Grabber’s such a menacing, nightmare-inducing presence that it barely registers his face is hidden under grotesque masks for the entirety of the film.
The Black Phone’s a genuinely frightening film that relies less on jump scares – although there’s a decent amount of those – and more on the truly horrifying, believable threat of a sadistic killer who targets kids. Supernatural elements are smoothly incorporated into the story and the unexpected, gruesome appearances of the dead kids as they speak to Finney ups the creepiness factor which was already at a high level due to the exquisitely disturbing masks (designed by Tom Asvini) sported by The Grabber.
Writer/director Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Doctor Strange) exited Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to helm The Black Phone, based on the short story by Joe Hill. Derrickson, who describes The Black Phone as his most personal film to date, made a wise decision to pass on the disappointing Doctor Strange sequel and delve into this unexpectedly uplifting yet totally twisted tale. Saying no to Marvel couldn’t have been an easy career choice, but opting to reunite with Ethan Hawke for this crowd-pleasing horror thriller was absolutely the right call to make.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: R for some drug use, language, bloody images, and violence
Running Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
Written By: Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
Release Date: June 24, 2022
